Chapter Seventeen #2
Then she reminded herself that kisses and orgasms in a library did not mean that he thought of her outside this plan at all.
Maybe she felt pulled to him, but it certainly did not mean he felt pulled to her. Pretend betrothals made no promises.
And perhaps he had made promises to someone else, she realized with a start. Her heart gave a slow, unpleasant thud at the thought. She felt a wash of sudden cold even though it was a hot, lazy summer afternoon. Aidan frowned at her. “Are you cold?”
She brightened her smile. “Not at all.”
He did not look convinced. He poured her more lemonade, placed an entire scone in her hand, and an enormous chunk of white cheese, still frowning. “I can find something better.”
She ought to just ask him outright. Prevaricating was not generally in her nature.
Only she did not want the answer just then. She wanted more pear slices and blackberry kisses under an oak tree.
She drew an outline of Lyonesse in the dirt with a stick instead. “So we are here,” she said, before he could ask her why she felt odd, why her heart had skipped. Wolves were very inconvenient when one was trying to lie to oneself.
She dropped acorns to represent Hallow and Haven and Holdfast. She added Xs to make the three places she had found the Cauldron fighting pits already. Aidan studied her map for a long moment.
“How did you know to curse that tooth specifically?” she asked. There were so many thoughts swirling in her head, it was difficult to catch one. It felt like chasing fireflies. Or wasps. Mad ferrets.
“There is a spell that calls for three Lycan teeth to prevent a werewolf bite.” He did not look up from the map. “I could cast it for you.”
She rather liked being bitten by this particular werewolf, actually. “No, thank you. Do go on,” she added before he could argue. “You think the Collector is working a similar spell?”
He inclined his head. “If three random teeth work well enough, he is working on the hypothesis that three teeth from the most powerful Lycan families would be even more powerful.”
“And is he correct?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“But why? And why now? He’s been using wolves in the fighting pits without such a spell for long enough.”
Adian scrubbed a hand over his bearded jaw.
“I’ve tracked some of his witchery, but he’s got that shielded from us as well, so I can’t be sure of anything, really.
But I think he’s stealing more wolves to fight in the pits, after he works a spell to ward the Cauldron from the Lycan, from the Order of the Iron Nail. From anyone who might be a threat.”
“And from the Red Cloak?”
His jaw clenched. “A fair assumption.” He frowned at the cut on her arm.
She frowned at it too. “You think he did this somehow?” The run from the Cauldron had been rather frantic. It was certainly possible.
“I do. I recognize his magical signature.” A growl rumbled in his chest. “Which would ordinarily be more than enough for me to track.”
“It could as easily have been from my dodging an ogre.”
“Maybe.” Definitely not, if his tone was anything to go by.
She rubbed at the cut, but it felt like any other cut. It wasn’t even as itchy as the scratches she’d sustained from all of those rose thorns at the solstice. Or from the kittens when they got bored and ganged up on her. She chose to take it as a favorable omen.
“I’ve tried to predict where the new Cauldron might pop up,” she told Aidan.
“The spectators are only told that same night, through posters going up in pubs and alleyways. I’ve tried pendulums, and tarot cards, and even mugwort tea for farseeing dreams. None of them have worked.
” She made a sound of frustration. “Nothing has.”
“Except for your paper birds,” he pointed out.
“Yes, but that’s after the fact, unfortunately.”
“And your regular birds can’t catch him either?”
She shook her head. “Regrettably, no.”
“That helps, actually.”
“It does? How? Do you enjoy being frustrated?”
“No, but it tells me his shields are even better than I thought.”
“How is that helpful?” she demanded.
“It means he’ll have need of other supplies. More magic. Which means more opportunities for tripping him up. Setting a new trap.”
“You’re counseling patience.” She made a face. “I don’t particularly care for patience.”
He nearly smiled. “I am aware.”
But it sounded like the Collector would be unstoppable with this new spell, and he was already far too powerful. Their weakness at the moment was their need to hide, to move about. Without that…
Sorcha felt sick to her stomach. Fury sometimes made her queasy. “How did you find out about the spell and the teeth?
“We had a spy in the ranks for a short time,” Aidan said tightly.
She was afraid to ask. “What happened to him?”
“The Collector killed him and made it look like a wolf kill.”
She sucked in her breath. “He really is targeting you.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why?”
He shook his head. “I assume it’s because he’s afraid we could track him, hunt him, without his spells.
I nearly had him.” His eyes were the gold of death masks and cursed coins.
“We have the Packs gathered and more Alphas on the island at one time than anyone can remember.” He smiled briefly.
“And you’ve still done more than all of them combined on your own. ”
She tried not to preen. Then her shoulders slumped. “But it hasn’t been enough.”
“You’ve saved more wolves than the wolves have, never mind your unicorn and your Minotaur and your satyr. That Red Cloak of yours…”
“Magic,” she admitted. “Powerful and very expensive magic.” She might have to sell all of Nettlestone Hall the next time it needed replenishing. Which would be soon. Too soon.
“You’re the magic, Sorcha.”
He said it so softly that she wasn’t entirely certain she had heard him completely. And she couldn’t exactly ask him to repeat himself. Could she? Excuse me, did you just say something nice about me? Might you say it again?
“You’re still looking for one wolf tooth in particular?” she said instead.
“Among other things, aye. He’s got the Arcadia tooth and we’ve got the Bisclavret. The Ossory tooth is the third, but no one has seen it in years. It was stolen from the tomb where it was buried. And we only have until the full moon.”
“How do you know?”
“There is no possibility that a spell using these wolf teeth in particular would not use the power of a full moon on the autumn equinox. The timing is too perfect.”
“Good point. Luckily, I know just where to look.” She tilted her head. “Although I’m afraid you’re going to need pants.”